BMW F32 435i M Sport spied on the Nurburgring During Testing

by Bimmerfest.com Member - rdkind62 on April 18, 2013, 2:45 pm

I have been trying to follow the introduction of the F32/ 435i as closely as possible since I plan on ordering site unseen in early June, and here is something that I recently found. It is an Estoril Blue M-Sport but only slightly camouflaged.

Quote:

The sports coupe is painted in Estoril Blue II and shows production-ready headlights with corona rings. Also fitted to this car are 19-inch 442 M wheels finished in a five-spoke design. These will only be available for the 435i and 535i with xDrive.

The 4 Series will make its production debut at the Shanghai Auto Show and will enter production this summer.

The car is supposed to make its world debut at the Shanghai Auto Show this weekend, so maybe we can get some real closeup pics and get rid of those renderings that have been teasing us for a while now.

i was gonna say, when I ordered my current car it took about 4 weeks IIRC. maybe a little longer. wow that pre LCI E92 really looks dated.

Robert A commented: April 19, 2013, 11:18 am

How does Jason over at F30Post know this is a 435i and not something else?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdkind62

I have been trying to follow the introduction of the F32/ 435i as closely as possible since I plan on ordering site unseen in early June, and here is something that I recently found. It is an Estoril Blue M-Sport but only slightly camouflaged.

The car is supposed to make its world debut at the Shanghai Auto Show this weekend, so maybe we can get some real closeup pics and get rid of those renderings that have been teasing us for a while now.

The final naming isn't 100% confirmed yet but it is the N55 powered 4 series coupe so 435i makes sense. Is that what you're asking?

Tim

thegandalf commented: April 19, 2013, 11:51 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert A

How does Jason over at F30Post know this is a 435i and not something else?

You mean how does he know it's not a 420i, 428i, 420d or something.

Dual exhaust should point straight to a N55 engine, so 435i is a good guess. Of couse they could come up an call it a 440i or something weird

Robert A commented: April 19, 2013, 11:55 am

Jason presents the engine and model as confirmed fact and I wonder whether it has been confirmed by reliable sources.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim330i

The final naming isn't 100% confirmed yet but it is the N55 powered 4 series coupe so 435i makes sense. Is that what you're asking?

Tim

chris328 commented: April 19, 2013, 12:13 pm

i thought the naming was already confirmed via the dealer order forms

tim330i commented: April 19, 2013, 1:07 pm

Not enough coffee before posting. You're 100% right, the 4 series is coming in a 428i powered by the N20 and the 435i is powered by the N55. There hasn't been an official press release, but it is in the 2014 production bulletin here -

You can tell this is a 435i by the twin exhaust as pointed out above. You can also see the hits of the front bumper that gives it away that it is an M Sport package.

Tim

Clepto commented: April 19, 2013, 1:18 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim330i

You can tell this is a 435i by the twin exhaust as pointed out above. You can also see the hits of the front bumper that gives it away that it is an M Sport package.
Tim

ESBII is also probably a key factor (;

I thought they were incorporating fogs into the M-Sport bumpers, but maybe that'll be at LCI time?

tim330i commented: April 19, 2013, 1:19 pm

I haven't heard any plans for that.

thegandalf commented: April 19, 2013, 1:49 pm

Tim,

Do you know if the LED lighting package will also make it to the F30? Or does that seem to be something that would only come when the LCI comes out?

Robert A commented: April 19, 2013, 2:34 pm

The existence of the 435i is confirmed, but the question is more a journalistic one: Is presenter mixing facts with assumptions? Most of the time, a journalist will say "sources tell us..." or "we expect..."

How do you know they're not testing an all-new engine? Or maybe it's a 335d with twin exhausts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegandalf

You mean how does he know it's not a 420i, 428i, 420d or something.

Dual exhaust should point straight to a N55 engine, so 435i is a good guess. Of couse they could come up an call it a 440i or something weird

rdkind62 commented: April 19, 2013, 2:56 pm

I just read a little blip from Motor Trend and they have the same set of pics, but they are describing it as the 440i. Regardless of the name I think it is going to be a beautiful car and I fully believe it will have the N55 engine as there have been absolutely no reports of any other possible engine.

tim330i commented: April 19, 2013, 4:31 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegandalf

Tim,

Do you know if the LED lighting package will also make it to the F30? Or does that seem to be something that would only come when the LCI comes out?

Could go either way. Initially BMW said the 4 was going up market, which would match how the 5 and 6 are prices and options. But now the pricing has been confirmed in line with the current 3 coupe so that throws the up market idea out the window to some degree. If they're going up market with it then I can see the LEDs being coupe only. My gut reaction is they'll hold the LEDs on the sedan as a LCI feature. That is something people want, making it a great LCI item, especially if the sedan is selling well already.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert A

How do you know they're not testing an all-new engine? Or maybe it's a 335d with twin exhausts.

The next generation of engines won't hit the F30 3 series or the F32 4 series until LCI. The 3 cylinder version will go into the i8 in 2014. After that it will be worked into other models in other configurations e.g. 4 and 6 cylinder and diesel variants. As there are no other new engine technologies on the horizon and the relatively close to production status of the 'B' family of engines it is the logical conclusion. Read more about the new engines here -

I just read a little blip from Motor Trend and they have the same set of pics, but they are describing it as the 440i. Regardless of the name I think it is going to be a beautiful car and I fully believe it will have the N55 engine as there have been absolutely no reports of any other possible engine.

The US production bulletin I posted above clearly shows the F32 4 series coupe as a 428i and a 435i. There was a lot of rumors that they were going to roll out a new engine and possibly bump the naming to 440i but that has clearly not happened.

Tim

solstice commented: April 19, 2013, 4:38 pm

Not even the crazy swirls can disguse what a good looking car this is. Expect to to see these everywhere a year from now, it's going to sell like crazy. I'm now tempted to consider an F82 instead of an F80. The look of this body might be worth the hassle with access to child seats in a two door.

Robert A commented: April 19, 2013, 4:46 pm

That may all be true. I was trying to point out that in journalism, one should always separate fact from opinion.

We all think that car is a 435i and it probably is a 435i. But I suspect the person who took that photograph never had a chance to verify what it was.

>>The next generation of engines won't hit the F30 3 series or the F32 4 series until LCI. The 3 cylinder version will go into the i8 in 2014. After that it will be worked into other models in other configurations e.g. 4 and 6 cylinder and diesel variants. As there are no other new engine technologies on the horizon and the relatively close to production status of the 'B' family of engines it is the logical conclusion. Read more about the new engines here -

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=646612<<

Jugghaid commented: April 19, 2013, 5:24 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert A

That may all be true. I was trying to point out that in journalism, one should always separate fact from opinion.

Have you watched the news lately?

lakerslive2004 commented: April 19, 2013, 11:09 pm

Is there a mod to install LEDs on an F30?

HokieXDriver commented: April 19, 2013, 11:25 pm

We don't think this is an M4? Is that because of the double exhaust pipes rather than the quads that the M cars use?

Reason I ask is this: look at the scoop below the grill. True M cars always have the scoop flaring OUTWARDS from top to bottom - that is, the bottom of the scoop is wider than the top. M-sport cars, on the other hand, are the opposite: they flare INWARDS. The top of the scoop is wider than the bottom. This car looks like the bottom of the scoop is wider than the top, which points to an M4. On the other hand, as I note, the exhausts are twin rather than quad.

solstice commented: April 20, 2013, 2:49 am

Good observation HookieXDriver but I doubt there will be an M4 without carbon fiber roof, especially without cf roof or moon roof. The wheels and air intakes are very M-ish though. The M4 will be something very special to significantly top this beauty. Heck, I might even consider a 435 6-speed if the steering has been sharpened from the F30 but then there is the rumour of an around 3300 lbs M3/M4. Nope It will be another M

tim330i commented: April 21, 2013, 10:18 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by HokieXDriver

We don't think this is an M4? Is that because of the double exhaust pipes rather than the quads that the M cars use?

Reason I ask is this: look at the scoop below the grill. True M cars always have the scoop flaring OUTWARDS from top to bottom - that is, the bottom of the scoop is wider than the top. M-sport cars, on the other hand, are the opposite: they flare INWARDS. The top of the scoop is wider than the bottom. This car looks like the bottom of the scoop is wider than the top, which points to an M4. On the other hand, as I note, the exhausts are twin rather than quad.

100% sure it is the M Sport. I see what you're saying, but that is just the camo. Look at this close up of the 435i M sport from another day -

There is also no power dome on the hood, flair fenders, etc. You can see what the M4 is shaping up to look like here -